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FHS closes due to burst water pipe

By Karla Erdman, adviserJanuary 8, 2014

The Arctic temperatures in the Bethlehem area this week brought more than just a nip in the air. After closing due to sub-zero wind chill temperatures on Tuesday and calling for a 2-hour delay on Wednesday, the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) had one more problem: a burst sprinkler system water pipe at Freedom High School (FHS). "The alarm went off around 4:48 a.m. this morning," said Mr. Michael DiBilio, assistant principal. The pipe burst in the ceiling in the entrance of the athletic portion of the building, which is called the "new wing" of the high school. The water reached a wide area surrounding the new gym, including the athletic office, school store, and the auditorium. Maintenance and custodial staff are working to fix the broken pipes and clean up the water and debris. Even though students were not in school, the faculty and staff at FHS were called in to work on a 2-hour delay. "Your time will be allocated to final exam preparation, first semester wrap up, and departmental planning," said Mr. Michael LaPorta, principal, in an email to faculty and staff. Time needed due to delays and closings since early December.

Freedom High School students and faculty celebrated their Halloween spirit in costume on Fri., Oct. 25. ​Happy Halloween!

PINK OUT to show support for breast cancer awareness month for October

Freedom faculty and staff show their support on October 1, 2013 for breast cancer awareness month by wearing PINK.

2013 Homecoming Court announced

Photo: Jodi Evans

The Homecoming King & Queen will be crowned at the Homecoming dance this Saturday, October 12.

Ziegler places first in cross country race against Nazareth and Northampton 9/24/13.

Pushing consoles to their limits

Ask most guys about what they remember last week, and they will probably mention “Grand Theft Auto 5” (GTA), a new video game released on Sept. 17 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Published by Take-Two Interactive, it was developed by Rockstar Games. The sales for the game reached $1 billion and sold over 16 million copies 3 days after its release, making it the fastest entertainment product to hit the $1 billion mark in history. The game has blown past all expectations and is looking to be the game of the year for 2013. So what makes this game so successful? The answer becomes obvious after playing the game itself. GTA brings fans of the series back to the city of Los Santos, which they will recognize from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The game adds multiple activities and improves upon many aspect from its previous game, Grand Theft Auto 4. The game also brings new characters and a new story. Within the first hour of playing the game, players play as all 3 main characters--Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. Players can switch between the characters throughout the game. Each character is unique and fun, and each has his own abilities to help in combat. Players can aim quicker and more accurately as Michael, become stronger and more powerful as Trevor, and drive better and aim more accurately in cars as Franklin. Letting players switch between 3 different characters makes for a much better and more diverse experience of the game. In addition to the larger amount of characters, the map is much larger as well. The map is the largest map Rockstar Games has ever made and is said to be 4 to 5 times larger than the map from Grand Theft Auto 4. The map is not only made larger by length and width, but players now also have the ability to fly higher, and even swim underwater in the game. There are mountains, forests, deserts, bridges, skyscrapers, and one large city. The map is one of the biggest and best maps in any open world game to date. Gameplay was also greatly improved. Aiming, driving, flying, running, jumping and just about everything else is great. The improved cover system allows players to jump quickly in and out of cover, the improved driving allows players to swerve between traffic quickly, and the improved aiming allows players to easily hit their targets. Everything feels smooth, quick, and flows together well. Customization also makes a return, allowing players to customize cars, outfits, and hairstyles to make for a more unique experience. Players can improve cars by purchasing better armor, engines, transmissions, suspensions, and tuning. The player can also customize their cars to look more to their liking. Players can also pick multiple outfits and hairstyles to fit the character’s style. Customization lets players do more and be better in the game. With GTA, Rockstar Games tried to push the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to their limits. The graphics are the best they can be, with smooth designs, nice textures, and great particle effects. There is even destructible cover, which makes for great particle effects and amazing visuals during fights and shootouts. Cruising down the highway, flying through the sky, or running around the city, everything is beautiful to look at. This game is easily one of the best made, with great gameplay, writing, graphics, activities, environments, and more. GTA Online, the multiplayer element of the game, launches on Oct. 1 and allows players to play with or against their friends.

BASD Mini-Thon Colors For The Kids 5K Fun Run. 9/21/13Students, teachers, parents, and more from the Bethlehem Area School District come out to participate in a color run that raises money to benefit the Four Diamond Fund and children with cancer.

The Syrian conflict is far from over

The ruins of Syria. Photo: FreedomHouse Creative Commons

By: Trevor Watlington, Photography Editor of The Freedom ForumSeptember 18, 2013 The Syrian civil war is a conflict between the Syrian government, led by the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, and numbers of rebel factions. The two main factions are the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and Al-Nusra Front. According to BBC, the FSA has said that it wants to, “Work hand in hand with the people to achieve freedom and dignity, topple the regime, protect the revolution and the country's resources and stand up to the irresponsible military machine which is protecting the regime.” According to The Independent, the group consists more of regular volunteers and former soldiers, who have defected to fight for the FSA. BBC states that Al-Nusra Front is more of an Islamic faction, wanting to form an Islamic state, something entirely different than what the FSA wants. These factions are both fighting each other, and the government to gain power, which makes one wonder why the U.S. should get involved. President Obama has said that using any kind of chemical weapons are a red line, and that something needs to be done to stop Syria from using chemical weapons against citizens. While some people still speculate whether or not Assad used the chemical weapons or how many might have been killed that day, Bloomberg and many other sources say it was likely Assad. Bloomberg also talks about President Obama diplomatically trying to make a deal with Russia and Syria, which would have an international community take the chemical weapons if Assad revealed the location of all of the weapons. If he did not, then congress will vote on whether or not to use military force against Syria. No matter what side one might take in this struggle, most people can assume the civil war is far from over.